The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-01-15
"REMINISCENCES AND ASPIRATIONS.

Yesteruight told a Universalist cler-
gyman that 1 would make arrangements
to attend the church of which he is the
pastor, but that my so doing would not
mean declaration of intention to become
q member of the church. / said a few
words more about my state OF mind and
heart; but those words need not be referred
to here, nor need say word about what
he then said. will, however, further say
of my brief talk with Rev. Mr.. Kent, that
it INDUCED in "reminiscences on my part.
That "reminiscences took me back to 1841,
and to conversation that had with
Rev. John A. Gurley, in the Universalist
church at Cincinnati, when my age was
only seventeen years. was, however,
settled in my purpose to become entitled
to admission to the bar and had been
studying the law with diligence about
year. l had devoted to the jural aspects
and political relations of religion in Ohio,
and, indeed throughout my native land,
very great attention, largely owing to
my having been "bred up" Catholic
American.
Before the interview I had with Rev.
Mr.. Gurley, several of my friends who
had conceived that 1 had manifested
leaning toward Universalism, both in
frequent going to the church and in dis
course with them, had lent me books
which they supposed would naturally
make that leaning stronger, and one of
them had often urged me to converse with
Rev. Mr.. Gurley. 1 had read the books
with lively interest. They had had the
effect expected by my friends.
Well, conversed with Rev. Mr.. Cur.
ley, as had been almost urged to do.
The Catholic American--mark, / mean
just that thing; not American Catholic
was very strong in me, however, and the
talk with Mr.. Gurley had an effect quite
different from that the books had had.
A talk had soon afterwards with Bish-
op (afterward Archbishop Purcell, re-
awakened my affection for the church of
Catholics, although L still retained spe-
cial feeling for the views and sentiments
of Universalists. That feeling has con-
tinued ever since, though five and forty
years have since elapsed. 1t had been
deepened by my intercourse with priced
friend, when wrote for The UNIVERSAL
IsT the letter that it began to lay before
it's readers in the Christmas number for
1885.
If any of your readers shall be led to
care for what 1 am communicating here,
it may be well for them to turn back to
that letter now, if they can do so. /
repeat, in spirit, every sentence, word
and syllable, that letter sent to press.
Why, then, can / not be at once Uni
versalist? To be Catholic has, through
the folly of the Church Of Catholics, not
only not objecting to the Encyclical
of All Saints Day, but tacitly accepting
that untimely and untrue Encyclical,
became impossible forever. That is alto
gether dear to me, all painful as it is.
Well, on the other hand, some of the
highest and the purest separations of
which am conscious, almost irresistibly
impel me to declare myself Universal
ist. But yet, not quite am l impelled
with force enough to make me take that
step. AS Tombstone, 1 remember, has
it, lacking the hundredth reason, out of
a hundred, my having ninenty-nine of
them is not, it seems, enough to make me